Shows
The Marginal Revolution PodcastAmerica's Debt: Crisis or Calm? Can America afford $30 trillion in debt—or is the real question whether it wants to? In the final episode of Season 2, Alex and Tyler take on the growing mountain of federal debt—now equal to 100% of GDP, with interest payments alone rivaling national defense spending. Alex lays out the case for concern: rising obligations, off-balance-sheet liabilities for Social Security and Medicare, and a political system with no appetite for hard choices. Tyler pushes back, arguing that markets remain calm, real borrowing costs are near zero, and America's wealth-to-debt ratio tells a far less alarming story. From the rele...
2025-12-0236 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastThe Return of Tariffs - Unpacking incidence, retaliation, and the return of protectionismIn this episode, Alex and Tyler tackle the resurgence of tariffs in American policy, a development neither saw coming after decades of trade liberalization. They unpack the economics of who really pays when tariffs jump from 2.4% to 18% in a matter of weeks, exploring everything from tax incidence and exchange rate adjustments to the question of why we treat tariffs so differently from currency depreciation. Along the way, they debate Tyler's new "soft" arguments against tariffs (including contagion effects and rising correlations), examine whether Lerner symmetry still holds in a world of T-bills and exorbitant privilege, and consider the Trumpian...
2025-11-1853 min
Hayek Program PodcastPerspectives on Peace — Kenneth Boulding and the Everyday Practice of PeaceOn this episode, Chris Coyne speaks with Michael Romero, Mikayla Novak, and Anna Claire Flowers about the enduring influence of Kenneth Boulding on how we understand peace and cooperation. Romero discusses his paper “Markets as a Peace Lab,” coauthored with Virgil Storr, which explains how markets act as spaces where individuals cultivate trust, empathy, and peaceful exchange. Novak joins to discuss her paper “Kenneth Boulding’s The Image: A Cognitive Basis for Peace Entrepreneurship,” connecting Boulding’s insights on human cognition to the creative work of fostering peace. In the final part of the episode, Coyne and Flowers refl...
2025-11-121h 27The Marginal Revolution PodcastCompensating Differentials and Selective IncentivesWhy do butchers earn more than bakers even though they're typically less educated? What does Uber driver data reveal about wage gaps? In part three of their series on favorite models, Tyler and Alex explore compensating differentials, Adam Smith's insight that wages adjust for a job's pleasantness, safety, and flexibility. But Tyler pushes back: in a world of increasing returns and clustering talent, are we moving toward winner-take-all dynamics where all good things come together instead of trading off? Then they turn to Mancur Olson's theory of selective incentives. How do small groups organize to lobby for...
2025-11-0452 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastThe Baumol EffectWhy are college tuition, healthcare, and car repairs eating up bigger shares of our budgets? Alex says it's all about the Baumol effect, a deep economic insight about relative prices that explains why labor-intensive services inevitably become more expensive over time. Tyler isn't buying it. He thinks the Baumol effect is often invoked as an ex-post explanation but can't make predictions. Further, there's not enough Kelvin Lancaster in Baumol, Tyler argues—not enough attention to bundle of characteristics that define what a good really is. In this episode, Alex and Tyler debate whether the Baumol effect is pr...
2025-10-2151 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastFavorite Models: Spence on Monopolies, Harberger on Incidence, Solow on GrowthAlex and Tyler put three classic models through their paces. Alex starts with Spence on how a monopolist chooses quality and applies it to how the New York Times' paywall flipped its audience incentives. Tyler pushes back, arguing that network effects and loyalists matter more than marginal customers. They move to Harberger on tax incidence and the hidden winners and losers of corporate taxes, minimum wages, and congestion pricing. Finally, Solow's growth model frames a conversation on why some countries catch up and others stall, including what it gets right about China, and what it misses. Together, their debate...
2025-10-0755 minHayek Program PodcastChandran Kukathas on Capitalism, Human Nature, and the Meaning of LifeOn this episode, Chandran Kukathas delivers a lecture at the Mercatus Center on capitalism, human nature, and the meaning of life. Kukathas argues that capitalism is less a fixed system than a constantly evolving set of rules and relationships, shaped by our restless desire to transform the world. He shows how politics, rent-seeking, and shifting definitions of capital are woven into its fabric, making it impossible to separate “pure markets” from the social and political contexts in which they operate. Kukathas challenges both critics and defenders who treat capitalism as the source of every social ill...
2025-10-0152 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastIn Praise of Commercial CultureTyler and Alex revisit Tyler's 1998 book and trace how commerce disciplines and amplifies creativity. Great artists bargained hard because money buys orchestras and time. "Inspired consumption" means high-quality audiences shape better art. Dynamic, Hayekian competition discovers new genres, while pulp cross-subsidizes the sublime. They disentangle when government support works, why TV improved with entry and subscriptions, how "payola" rhymes with supermarket slotting fees and with Spotify's algorithmic era, and why some modern art maligned as minimal is, in fact, marvelous. Along the way they touch on reading's spiky renaissance, textiles as the smartest undervalued collectible, the real story on b...
2025-09-231h 03Hayek Program PodcastAbigail Hall on the Boomerang Effect and the Unintended Consequences of U.S. Immigration PolicyOn this episode, Nathan Goodman speaks with Abby Hall on the "boomerang effect," where U.S. military tools and tactics used abroad—like drones—are repurposed for domestic border enforcement. Hall discusses how restrictive immigration policies, such as the Secure Fence Act and Operation Streamline, often lead to unintended consequences like increased migrant deaths and overwhelmed asylum systems. She advocates for more open immigration pathways to improve both humanitarian outcomes and resource allocation. The conversation also highlights how past U.S. interventions in Latin America have contributed to current migration patterns and emphasizes the importance of humility and flexibility in p...
2025-07-0954 min
Mercatus Policy DownloadSNAP Waste & Fraud: A Conversation with Keith HallIn this episode, Veronique de Rugy, a Senior Research Fellow and George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy here at Mercatus, chats with Distinguished Visiting Fellow and former CBO Director, Keith Hall, about his latest research documenting SNAP waste, explain why fraud exists in the program, and present solutions for reforms. This episode features audio from a recent Mercatus webinar. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured in this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Check out Keith's research on SNAP: https://www.mercatus.org/research/research-papers...
2025-06-2441 minHayek Program PodcastAbigail Hall on "How to Run Wars" and Reaching New AudiencesOn this episode, Stefanie Haeffele chats with Abigail Hall on her latest book, How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite, which provides a satirical instruction manual for warfare. They discuss the various methods and approaches to bringing academic work to a broader audience, highlight the need for humility in providing commentary, emphasize the importance of Abigail’s research in the increasingly militarized modern world and the role of satire in critiquing and resisting abuses of power, and more.Dr. Abigail R. Hall is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Ta...
2025-06-1151 minHayek Program PodcastShruti Rajagopalan and Chris Coyne on War, Conflict, and the Quest for a Stable PeaceOn this special crossover episode, Ideas of India podcast host, Shruti Rajagopalan, interviews Christopher J. Coyne on the economics of conflict and peace, the history of the U.S. security state, the US intervention in Afghanistan, domestic consequences of militarism abroad, and much more!For the full length transcript and for more episodes like this, check out the Ideas of India podcast page.Shruti Rajagopalan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center and a Fellow at the Classical Liberal Institute at New York University School of Law. She leads the India political economy...
2025-03-051h 45The Marginal Revolution PodcastThe Quest to Price OptionsIn the final episode of Season 1, Alex and Tyler explore one of the most consequential quests in the history of economics and finance: the decades-long search for a formula to price options. From Louis Bachelier's groundbreaking work in 1900 to the eventual triumph of Black, Scholes, and Merton in the 1970s, they trace how brilliant minds across mathematics, physics, and economics gradually unlocked the how to properly price financial instruments like calls and puts. Along the way, they examine how this theoretical breakthrough revolutionized modern markets, sparked the creation of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and transformed our understanding of...
2024-12-1744 minHayek Program PodcastPerspectives on Peace — State Power and the Regime Uncertainty of Robert HiggsWelcome back to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.This episode focuses on state power, peaceful cooperation, and the regime uncertainty of Robert Higgs, featuring authors Ed Stringham on “Two Paths toward Anarcho-pacifism: Lessons from Christianity and Modern Economics”, and Don Boudreaux on “Regime Uncertainty and Market Uncertainty.” In their conversations, the authors explain their motives for writing and summarize their respective chapters.Edward...
2024-12-1150 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastThe New Monetary EconomicsIn this exploration of the "new monetary economics," Alex and Tyler revisit the ideas of thinkers like Fischer Black, Eugene Fama, and Robert Hall, whose bold views about the Fed and the money supply once seemed detached from reality but now increasingly describe the financial world we inhabit. They explore why traditional measures like the money supply are becoming obsolete, how crypto and stablecoins are reshaping monetary systems, and why AI might emerge as a major consumer—and creator—of cryptocurrencies. They also discuss the paradox of pegged currencies, the lessons of algorithmic stablecoin failures like Terra, and the surp...
2024-12-0348 minHayek Program PodcastPerspectives on Peace — The Industrial Complexes of Robert HiggsWelcome back to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.This episode focuses on the military and health industrial complexes of Robert Higgs, featuring authors Nathan Goodman on “The Military-Industrial Complex and the Militarization of Society”, Raymond March on “What About the Healthcare State? Robert Higgs's Contribution to Health Economics”, and Yuliya Yatsyshina on “The War Industry as Economic Cancer.” In their conversations, the authors s...
2024-11-271h 18The Marginal Revolution PodcastThe Economics of InsuranceIn this episode, Alex and Tyler dive deep into the fascinating and often misunderstood world of insurance, exploring how this trillion-dollar industry underpins modern economies while shaping human behavior in surprising ways. From its ancient roots in maritime adventures to the revolutionary development of life insurance, they unravel the economic logic and social norms that made this market possible. Along the way, they grapple with enduring puzzles: Why do people insure against some risks but not others? Why did life insurance once seem repugnant, only to become a moral imperative? How has the industry's ability to manage moral hazard...
2024-11-1958 minThe Marginal Revolution PodcastThe 1970s Crime WaveIn this final installment of their series on the 1970s, Alex and Tyler turn to the social upheaval and crime wave that marked the decade as one of America's most turbulent. They explore how rising crime rates transformed cities, fueled a national sense of fear, and led to far-reaching policy shifts, including mass incarceration and changes in urban policing. From the shocking statistics on homicide and stranger violence to the rise of serial killers and political bombings, they consider how the era's unprecedented violence influenced American culture and policy. The conversation concludes with a caution against complacency, as they...
2024-11-1251 minHayek Program PodcastPerspectives on Peace — The Ratchet Effect of Robert HiggsWelcome back to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.This episode focuses on the Ratchet Effect of Robert Higgs, featuring authors Abigail Hall on “Ideology, Crisis, and the Ratchet Effect: Retrospect and Prospects”, Jayme Lemke on “The Origins and Persistence of Discriminatory Institutions and Ideologies”, and Anthony Gregory on “The History, Ideology, and Shape of Leviathan: Researching the American State's Ratchet Effect, Growth, and Transf...
2024-10-301h 19Hayek Program PodcastPerspectives on Peace — The Life and Legacy of Robert HiggsWelcome to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.On this episode, Chris Coyne and Don Boudreaux discuss the life and legacy of Robert Higgs as featured in the newly published edited volume, The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024). Coyne and Boudreaux emphasize Higgs’ work as an economist and economic historian, especially his influence on understanding economic history and the relationship between markets and po...
2024-10-1659 minHayek Program PodcastEnvironmental Economics — Militarized Climate Planning: What is Left?Welcome back to the Environmental Economics series, hosted by Jordan Lofthouse. On this episode, Jordan converses with Mikayla Novak and Nathan Goodman on their paper, "Militarized Climate Planning: What is Left?", co-authored by Lofthouse, Novak and Goodman. Their paper is influenced by Don Lavoie's critiques of central planning laid out in his book, National Economic Planning: What is Left?, applied to today's issue of militarized climate planning or "war footing." Instead of using climate planning to solve climate change, they advocate for a peaceful, polycentric approach that is more adaptive to local knowledge. Mikayla Novak is senior...
2024-08-211h 24
Top of MindTackling America’s Housing Crisis with Mercatus Center’s Salim FurthIn this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Salim Furth from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University to explore America’s housing affordability and supply crisis and the optimistic changes that are under way.About Salim FurthSalim Furth is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses on housing production and land use regulation. He frequently advises local governments and testifies before state and federal legislatures. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from th...
2024-08-141h 02Hayek Program Podcast"Living Better Together" — On Culture and EconomicsOn this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we continue the Living Better Together miniseries, featuring select authors of Living Better Together: Social Relations and Economic Governance in the Work of Ostrom and Zelizer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and hosted by its coeditor, Stefanie Haeffele.Joining us today are Carolina Dalla Chiesa and Crystal Dozier. Together, they mesh Ostrom and Zelizer’s approaches and highlight the importance of using interdisciplinary methods to better understand economic exchanges. Carolina focuses on the symbolic meanings of money and economic governance, while Crystal explores archaeological studies of non-market societies. They both articulate how th...
2024-05-1537 minHayek Program Podcast"Living Better Together" — On Women and the FamilyOn this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we kickoff the Living Better Together miniseries, featuring select authors of Living Better Together: Social Relations and Economic Governance in the Work of Ostrom and Zelizer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and hosted by its coeditor, Stefanie Haeffele.Joining us today are Bri Wolf and Jayme Lemke. Starting the discussion, they reflect on their path to joining the book project and elaborate on the insights they provide in their chapters. Together, they explore how Ostrom and Zelizer's approaches illuminate the complex relationships between societal norms, family dynamics, and broader social systems, advocating...
2024-03-2047 minHayek Program PodcastEnvironmental Economics — Governing the Global Fisheries CommonsWelcome back to the Environmental Economics series, hosted by Jordan Lofthouse. On this episode, Jordan interviews Pablo Paniagua Prieto and Veeshan Rayamajhee on their co-authored work, "Governing the Global Fisheries Commons." On this episode and in their article, they address the challenges of overfishing and the depletion of global fisheries. They critique one-size-fits-all solutions, advocating for an approach that recognizes overfishing as a complex set of interconnected problems across various jurisdictions. Drawing from Elinor Ostrom's insights, they propose combining market-based strategies, such as individual transferable quotas, with government interventions like removing harmful subsidies, and highlight the importance of local...
2024-03-061h 04Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's December 2023 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Regulatory Studies Project here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss interest rates, rising household wealth, growing debt, and much more.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Bruce's report.
2023-12-1927 minHayek Program PodcastEnvironmental Economics — Katie Wright on Sustainability and Water ScarcityContinuing our series on Enviromental Economics, host Jordan Lofthouse chats with Katie Wright about sustainability, extensive and intensive margins, intellectual humility in statistical analysis, how her experience in Mercatus fellowships has aided her research, the nature of the water scarcity problem in the Western United States, and more.Katherine (Katie) Wright is a research fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). She is an expert on water policy and her current work includes exploration of solutions to western water scarcity. Katie is an alum of the Mercatus Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship.If you like...
2023-10-181h 03Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's September 2023 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of Policy Analytics here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss recession predictions, federal debt, the role of money in the economy, and much more.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.Check out Bruce's latest report here.
2023-09-1231 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's June 2023 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of Policy Analytics here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce's rollercoaster economy, subsidies and tariffs and how they fit into the bootlegger-Baptist theory of regulation, predictions for the remainder of 2023, Bruce's reading recommendations, and much more.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.Check out Bruce's report here.
2023-06-2033 minHayek Program PodcastRealizing the Values of Art — Erwin Dekker, Valeria Morea, & Stefanie HaeffeleOn this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Stefanie Haeffele interviews Erwin Dekker and Valeria Morea on their new book, Realizing the Values of Art: Making Space for Cultural Civil Society. Dekker and Morea discuss their concept of cultural civil society, how art is practiced in creative circles and co-creative communities. They consider the environment from which prominent art movements emerged in the modern day, highlighting case-studies on hip hop, festivals, and a queer museum, and analyze the role of public policy in the worlds of art and equality.Erwin Dekker is a Senior Fellow with the F...
2023-05-311h 06Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's March 2023 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of Policy Analytics here at Mercatus, discusses the latest economic situation report from Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a distinguished adjunct fellow here at Mercatus. They talk about inflation, what to expect from the Fed for the remainder of 2023, and if we can expect a recession in 2024. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Check out Bruce's report here.
2023-03-1432 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's December 2022 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of Policy Analytics here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss inflation, regulatory accumulation, money, employment, and much more. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.Check out Bruce's report here.
2022-12-2033 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthPatrick Horan and David Beckworth on *The Fate of FAIT* and the Future of the Fed's Monetary FrameworkIn this special episode of Macro Musings, David Beckworth and Patrick Horan join guest host Carola Binder to discuss their newest paper, *The Fate of FAIT: Salvaging the Fed's Framework.* Patrick Horan is a research fellow in the Mercatus Center's Monetary Policy Program and Carola Binder is an associate professor of economics at Haverford College as well as a visiting scholar at the Mercatus Center. In addition to their paper, Pat and David also talk about the basics of flexible average inflation targeting, how it compares to temporary price level targeting, the differences between the Fed's old and new...
2022-11-2151 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's September 2022 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of Policy Analytics here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss inflation and unemployment, the misery index, what to expect from the Fed, and much more.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.Check out Bruce's report here.
2022-09-1330 minHayek Program PodcastLiberalism for All — Is Social Justice a Mirage?On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we conclude our summer series of the podcast on Liberalism for All, hosted by Jayme Lemke as she explores the underpinnings and outworkings of a free and open society. Driving the discussion is a set of core questions, including:What does it mean to be liberal in the 21st century?What is the relationship between liberalism and equality?Is the pursuit of equality a threat or opportunity for the liberal project?Joining Lemke for this episode is Stefanie Haeffele, Senior Program and Operations Director of Mercatus Academic & Student Programs...
2022-08-101h 13Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's June 2022 Economic Situation ReportOn this episode, Matthew Mitchell, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, chats about the latest economic situation report with Dr. Bruce Yandle, who is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss inflation, gas and oil prices, the possibility of a recession, and much more.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Check out Bruce's June 2022 report here.
2022-06-2129 minMercatus Policy DownloadThe American Housing CrisisOn this episode, Dan Rothschild, the Executive Director here at Mercatus, digs into housing policy with Salim Furth, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project here at Mercatus. They chat about why Auburn, Maine is the perfect example of an American city getting housing policy right, and expand upon what policymakers can do to correct the housing crisis and make their cities flourish.If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.
2022-05-3116 min
Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's December 2021 Economic Situation ReportWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for December 2021, including the hot topic of late, inflation. They also talk about expectations for GDP growth and output, import competition, environmental regulations, and some financial advice Bruce received from his father that is still worth heeding today. If y...
2021-12-2130 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthScott Sumner on The Money IllusionScott Sumner is David's colleague and the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center. Scott is also a returning guest to the podcast and joins David on Macro Musings to discuss his new book, The Money Illusion: Market Monetarism, the Great Recession, and the Future of Monetary Policy. Specifically, David and Scott discuss common misconceptions about the 2008-09 Recession, why bubble narratives too often miss the mark when explaining rising asset prices, whether the Fed's adoption of average inflation targeting signals that it is moving toward a level target, and much more.
2021-10-1150 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's September 2021 Economic Situation ReportWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for September 2021, including the role of risk and uncertainty in what Bruce calls the Frankenstein economy. They talk about debt forgiveness, corporate tax and antitrust reform, the exploding demand for building materials, and much more. If you’d like to...
2021-09-1425 minMercatus Policy DownloadInflation and What to Expect from the FedWelcome to The Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The executive director of the Mercatus Center, Dan Rothschild, has a conversation with Mercatus scholars David Beckworth and Christopher Russo about inflation and deflation, supply side bottlenecks, spillover effects, base effects, the velocity of money, the US debt/gdp ratio, black swan events, and why we shouldn’t fear a repeat of 70s-era inflation. If you would like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.
2021-06-2218 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's June 2021 Economic Situation ReportWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for June 2021, including turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic economy, current inflation stats, the difference between crises and serious problems American’s are facing today, and much more. If you’d like to contact the scholar involved...
2021-06-1530 minMercatus Policy DownloadLessons from Liberalism: Insights for the Current Immigration DebateWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we co-hosted with the Classical Liberal Institute on the current immigration debate. The panel shares insight from their recent books and working papers on the topic and then go on to discuss the benefits of immigration, reform options for our current Congress, how and why reform efforts should be informed by policy research, and much more. If you’d like to contact the scholar involved in this webi...
2021-06-081h 27Mercatus Policy DownloadDigital Platforms: Antitrust or Regulation?Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on Antitrust. Antitrust and other regulatory authorities around the world are busily assessing potential enforcement actions against big digital platforms, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon, among others. The panel addresses the following questions: Should governments establish regulations that sets clear rules of conduct for digital platforms? Can existing “consumer welfare” standards guiding antitrust enforcement effectively curb abuses by digital platforms? Are proposals to heighten antitr...
2021-05-041h 22Mercatus Policy DownloadIndia's COVID-19 CrisisWelcome to The Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. India's COVID-19 cases have been rising at an alarmingly rapid rate since mid-March, and the virus is now killing thousands of people each day in India. Dan Rothschild, Executive Director here at Mercatus, talks to Shruti Rajagopalan, Senior Research Fellow and leader of Indian political economy research and Emergent Ventures India at Mercatus, about the rising COVID-19 cases in India, if lockdowns are the answer to halting India's rising cases, India's vaccine distribution, their hospital capacity, and how the United S...
2021-04-2627 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's March 2021 Economic Situation ReportWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we're bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equity Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce's latest economic situation report for March 2021, the latest COVID-19 stimulus package, forgiving student loan debt, the debate for raising the federal minimum wage, and much more. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu
2021-03-1634 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthDaniel Griswold on US Demographic Decline and the Case for Expanding ImmigrationDaniel Griswold is a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center and a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration policy. Dan is also a returning guest is to the podcast, and joins Macro Musings to talk about immigration policy and the outlook for trade policy with the new Biden Administration. Specifically, David and Dan discuss the major demographic decline in the US, and how greater levels of immigration and can solve many of America's economic concerns. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Dan's Twitter: @danielgriswold Dan's Mer...
2021-02-0149 minMercatus Policy DownloadThe Best Arguments For and Against Paid Federal LeaveWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent virtual congressional briefing we held on the best arguments for and against paid federal leave. It is often noted that the United States is the only industrialized country without a federal paid leave program. While true, Dr. Veronique de Rugy points out that this doesn't necessarily mean that women in countries that have such government-mandated programs are doing better than women in the United States. In this Congressional staff briefing, de...
2020-12-2934 minMercatus Policy DownloadInnovation Policy and its FutureWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on the future of innovation policy. Adam Thierer promotes his research and perspectives on technology and innovation policy alongside one of the world’s foremost thinkers on the subject, Matt Ridley. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this webinar, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu We've changed our name! What was formally known at the Mercatus Policy Download is now Th...
2020-12-0858 minMercatus Policy DownloadWhat Does Progressive Social Security Reform Look Like?Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on social security and progressive reforms. In a new research paper, “An Analytical Framework for Strengthening Social Security,” leading expert Charles P. Blahous details a number of problems facing Social Security and how they can be addressed. Ben Ritz and Jason Fichtner joined Blahous for a discussion to provide insight into the framework and share their research findings. If you’d like to contact a s...
2020-11-2456 minMercatus Policy DownloadState Regulation: Policy Solutions for State LawmakersWelcome to The Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we're bringing you part 2 of our most recent webinar on regulatory reform. If you missed part 1, you can listen to that episode here. Our speakers today are James Broughel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, Matthew D. Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, Gretchen Conger, Deputy Chief of Staff for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, and Jessica Cleveland, Oklahoma Deputy Secretary of State. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this webinar, plea...
2020-10-2757 minMercatus Policy DownloadState Regulation: The Case for ReformWelcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on why states should undertake regulatory reform. This is the first of a two-part series on state regulatory reform. The second part, on how states can implement reforms, will release next week. Our speakers today are James Broughel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Colin O'Reilly, Associate Professor, Heider College of Business, and Laura Jones, Visiting Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center an...
2020-10-2053 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthShruti Rajagopalan on the Past, Present, and Future of the Indian EconomyShruti Rajagopalan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center where she leads the programs Indian Political Economy Research and the Emergent Ventures India. Shruti joins David on Macro Musings to discuss the past, present and future of the Indian economy. Specifically, Shruti and David discuss India's mid-20th century experiment with socialism, subsequent reforms from 1980 through the 2000s, and how further reforms to manufacturing and to land and labor markets can accelerate its economic development. Transcript for the episode can be found here. Shruti's Twitter: @srajagopalan Shruti's Me...
2020-10-191h 06Mercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's September 2020 Economic Situation ReportThe US economy is currently operating along a bumpy path defined more by the coronavirus and reactions to it than by the inherent dynamics of the economy itself. Yet while the path is bumpy and GDP growth puny, America still has a large and active economy. Has the US economy reached a turning point? This week, we're very happy to be able to connect our listeners once again with Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus, Dean Emeritus at Clemson University, and author of the now-famous “Bootleggers and Baptists” model for understanding unlikely political alliances to help...
2020-09-2232 minMercatus Policy DownloadHousing, Zoning, and Transit Policies to Help Communities Recover after COVID-19The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of economic uncertainty at the state and local levels. Whether or not the virus is contained in the near future, local governments must provide flexibility in housing, zoning, and transit policies to help their communities recover. Karen Czarnecki, Vice President of Outreach at the Mercatus Center is joined by Emily Hamilton, Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center, Salim Furth, Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center, and Jenny Schuetz, Research Fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at...
2020-08-2543 minMercatus Policy DownloadHow to Achieve Small Business Recovery During COVID-19The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating an unprecedented economic downturn, and small businesses are likely to bear the brunt. Mandatory shutdowns and social distancing forced many small businesses to shut their doors. Even as governments begin lifting social distancing restrictions, the residual effects of unemployment and disrupted business operations will complicate the economic recovery of small businesses. The US government has taken some steps to lessen the damage to small businesses, but these steps impose large costs on taxpayers, and depending on how long the pandemic lasts, these steps may not be enough to keep many small businesses open.
2020-07-2842 minMercatus Policy DownloadBehavioral Economics, Rationality, Paternalism and their Impact on Public PolicyOn today's episode, Shruti Rajagopalan, Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, chats with Mario Rizzo and Glen Whitman about their latest book, Escaping Paternalism: Rationality, Behavioral Economics, and Public Policy. The three of them discuss the impact that behavioral economics, rationality, and paternalism have on public policy including, nudge paternalism, sin taxes, default rules, true preferences, and how behavioralists may be the new baptists. Check out some of the Mercatus Center's research related to this topic: For Your Own Good: Taxes, Paternalism, and Fiscal Discrimination in the Twenty-First Century by Adam J. Hoffer and Todd Nesbit...
2020-07-0740 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's June 2020 Economic Situation ReportAfter what may have seemed like an eternity to all who have suffered coronavirus pain and death, with June at hand, America has witnessed 19 brutal weeks since its first coronavirus case was identified on January 22. But while these 19 weeks may seem like an eon, it is still the case that owing to high social media speed, actions taken to contain the virus have occurred in record time. This week, we're very happy to be able to connect our listeners once again with Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus, Dean Emeritus at Clemson University, and author...
2020-06-2339 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthScott Sumner on the Government's Response to COVID-19 and the Future of Level TargetingScott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Professor Emeritus of economics at Bentley University, and a research fellow at the Independent Institute. As a returning guest to the podcast, Scott joins Macro Musings to give his latest thoughts on the COVID-19 crisis and its implications for monetary policy. Specifically, David and Scott discuss how the Fed can conduct more aggressive monetary policy, what a level targeting regime should look like in the future, and the current progression toward negative interest rates. Transcript for t...
2020-05-2050 minMercatus Policy DownloadHow to Address Regulations Suspended During the COVID-19 CrisisAttempting to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels are suspending or rescinding laws and regulations that hinder timely, sensible responses to the pandemic. The temporary departure from these rules is causing many to question the need to reinstate them post-crisis. A diverse cross-section of scholars has written on why this is an important time to evaluate whether or not some of these regulations are really beneficial and how policymakers can best make these assessments. This co-sponsored webinar will provide viewers with a grounded, non-partisan approach for doing so. The Mercatus Center published...
2020-05-1945 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthScott Sumner on How Central Banks Should Respond to the Coronavirus ThreatScott Sumner is the Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a returning guest to Macro Musings. Scott joins the show today to talk about the recent market turmoil caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus and its implications for monetary policy. David and Scott also discuss how the Fed should respond to a possible pandemic, why monetary policy is preferable to fiscal policy during a crisis, and how to approach the central bank credibility problem. Transcript for the episode can be found here: https://www.mercatus.org/br...
2020-03-0254 min
Plugged In#44: The Mercatus Center's Adam Thierer on the Impacts of the Precautionary Principle (2-20-20)Adam Thierer, a Senior Research Fellow at George Mason's Mercatus Center, joins the show to discuss how the precautionary principle has shaped today's energy landscape and the profound benefits of permissionless innovation.
Links:
• The latest from Adam:
https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/adam-thierer#0
• More about the Mercatus Center:
https://www.mercatus.org/
• More from Adam about permissionless innovation:
https://permissionlessinnovation.org/
• Get the book Permissionless Innovation: https://permissionlessinnovation.org/book/
2020-02-2041 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthBrent Skorup on Autonomous Vehicles, Flying Cars, and Airspace as a Scarce ResourceBrent Skorup is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center where he specializes in transportation technology, telecommunications, aviation, and wireless policy. Brent also serves on the FCC's broadband deployment advisory committee and the Texas Department of Transportation's autonomous vehicle task force, and he has recent spoke on the topic of airspace design at the Global Air Traffic Management Conference in Dubai. He joins the show today to talk about the future of transportation, including flying cars and highways in the sky. Brent and David also discuss the concept of auctioning airspace, the macroeconomic implications of technological innovation, and...
2020-02-1055 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthMacro Musings Producers' Special – A Recap of 2019 and a Glimpse into the FutureTo accompany the new year, David Beckworth is joined by the producers of Macro Musings, Marc and Carter, to talk about the highlights of the podcast throughout 2019, including their personal favorite episodes and the top episodes according to listener statistics. They also discuss some of the most important macroeconomic issues and events of the past year, including the yield curve inversion and ensuing recession speculation, the secular decline of interest rates, the Fed's big 2019 review, and more. A massive thank you to all of our listeners who have tuned in over the past few years, a...
2020-01-2056 minMercatus Policy DownloadTrade Wars, Tariffs, Impeachment Proceedings and their Impact in 2020Welcome back! On today’s episode, Mercatus scholar Matthew Mitchell and Mercatus Distinguished Adjunct Fellow, Bruce Yandle, discuss the recent hot button topics flooding the current news headlines and their influence heading into the 2020 presidential election. What will be the economic impacts of the trade wars and Trump's tariffs? Who's really losing when it comes to paying for these tariffs? What do the Trump impeachment proceedings mean for the economy? Matt and Bruce sit down to discuss these questions and much more. And to end their conversation on a lighter note, Matt and Br...
2019-12-1739 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthDavid Beckworth on the Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level TargetingIn this special episode of Macro Musings, the roles are reversed, and David Beckworth joins guest host Cardiff Garcia, host of NPR's "The Indicator from Planet Money", to talk about his newest paper, *Facts, Fears, and Functionality of NGDP Level Targeting: A Guide to a Popular Framework for Monetary Policy*. David and Cardiff conduct a deep dive into the plumbing of this potential monetary regime, as they discuss some of the most the important questions surrounding it. Some of these questions include: what is nominal GDP level targeting, and how does it differ from the Fed's current inflation targeting...
2019-10-161h 00
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio - Grocers are sitting on the Holy Grail of dataMercatus Radio - Grocers are sitting on the Holy Grail of data
2019-10-1023 min
Digital Grocer PodcastGroceryshop 2019: Straight from the Mercatus booth - part 2Groceryshop 2019: Straight from the Mercatus booth - part 2
2019-10-1016 min
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio - If you're gonna be in business, you got to do the hard stuff.This episode features a wide-ranging conversation with Sylvain and Kevin Coupe, The Content Guy over at MorningNewsBeat.com. Sylvain opens the conversation by asking Kevin why retailers don't always think of themselves as a brand and don't use their own data to the greatest possible degree and using Walmart's evolution as an example. To a great extent, Amazon has woken everybody up to the value of customer data in growing customer affinity through suggestive selling. The conversation turns to a timely topic, which is the risks that come with using gig workers as an extension of the retailer's busi...
2019-10-1053 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthAlex Tabarrok on the Elements of Economic Growth and the Decline of DynamismAlex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and holds the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center. Alex has written widely on long run economic growth and joins the show today to talk about it. David and Alex also discuss how capital relates to economic growth, the impact of regulation on dynamism, and the important distinction between "catch-up" and "cutting edge" growth. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/09092019/alex-tabarrok-elements-economic-growth-and-decline-dynamism Alex's Twitter: @ATabarrok Alex's Mercatus profile: https://asp.mercatus.or...
2019-09-0957 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthThomas Hoenig on the Federal Reserve and the State of Banking in the USThomas Hoenig was vice-chair of the FDIC from 2012-2018 and in the 20 years prior to that he was also president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Thomas is currently a distinguished senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where he focuses on the long-term impact of the politicization of financial services, as well as the effects of government granted privileges and market performance. He joins the show today to talk about his career and some of the current issues in banking. David and Thomas also assess the effectiveness of quantitative easing, the advantages and disadvantages...
2019-08-2659 min
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio: Interview with Barclays on “Dissecting the Instacart Addiction”On this episode, we’re joined by Karen Short from Barclays Investment Bank to discuss her team’s research findings on the strong affinity shoppers have with Instacart and how that impacts grocery retailers strategic business interests.In one example, when asked whether she felt that Instacart is a strategic fit for retailers or not, Karen comments: “More importantly, it was an instant solution, but longer term, the bigger and bigger Instacart gets, the less control you as a retailer have. And so you lose the control with the customer, you lose the customer data, or at a best c...
2019-07-0822 minMercatus Policy DownloadInterpreting CDA Section 230 and its FutureWe're back to bring you a special episode on CDA Section 230 or, as one of our guests put it “the 26 words that created the Internet." This law paved the way for the explosion of Facebook, YouTube, and numerous other internet companies by protecting them from being held liable for what users say and do on their platforms. This also allowed each platform the freedom to develop its own content moderation standards. But, as these platforms have grown larger and central to public discourse, some are worried that section 230 gives tech companies far too much influence in...
2019-07-0253 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthSalim Furth on Land Use Regulations, the Rise of NIMBYism, and Options for ReformSalim Furth is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center where he studies regional, urban, and macroeconomic trends and policies. Salim joins the show today to talk about some of his work on housing supply in the United States and its implications for policy. David and Salim also discuss the problems that arise from rigid zoning laws, the rise of NIMBYism, and possible ways to conduct regulatory zoning reform. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/06242019/land-use-regulations-rise-nimbyism-and-options-reform Salim's Twitter: @salimfurth Salim's Mercatus profile: https://www.merc...
2019-06-2459 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthDaniel Griswold on the USMCA, Tariffs, and the US Trade WarDaniel Griswold is a research fellow and co-director of the Trade and Immigration Project at the Mercatus Center. Dan is a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration policy and is a returning guest to Macro Musings. He joins the show today to help get us up to speed on the latest developments in issues on the ever-expanding US trade war with the rest of the world. David and Dan also discuss the USMCA, the negative aspects and seriousness of the trade war, and US intellectual property disputes with China. Transcript for the episode: https://ww...
2019-06-1058 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthRobert Graboyes on Monetary History of Small CoinsRobert Graboyes is a senior research fellow and health economist at the Mercatus Center and has formerly worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Chase Manhattan Bank. Robert joins the show today to talk about monetary history and specifically the history of small coins. David and Robert also discuss a number of different coins and the history surrounding them, ranging from civil war tokens to early Roman currencies. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/05132019/robert-graboyes-monetary-history-small-coins Robert's Twitter: @Robert_Graboyes Robert's Mercatus profile: https://www...
2019-05-1357 min
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio: What does the California Consumer Privacy Act mean for your grocery retail business?Are you wondering what the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is and how it applies to you? Look no further, as we explore in a two-part episode, everything you need to know about CCPA and more. Sylvain Perrier and Mark Fairhurst are joined by Privacy and Security experts, John Tomaszewski and Ted Murphree from Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
2019-05-0435 minMercatus Policy DownloadDr. Bruce Yandle's March 2019 Economic Situation ReportWelcome to a special bonus episode of the Mercatus Policy Download. This week, we're very happy to be able to connect our listeners with Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus, Dean Emeritus at Clemson University, and author of the now-famous “Bootleggers and Baptists” model for understanding unlikely political alliances. Long-time Mercatus fans will know that Bruce has been providing regular updates on the state of the economy for some time now, and earlier this month he released the March 2019 edition. Last week, he was on Capitol Hill sharing his economic situation report with policymakers, and we thought we’d share...
2019-03-2655 min
Macro Musings with David BeckworthJames Broughel on the Social Discount RateJames Broughel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and an adjunct professor of law at George Mason University Law School. James specializes in state and federal regulatory procedures, cost-benefit analysis, and economic growth. He joins the show today to talk about a recent symposium he hosted on the social discount rate; what it is, its uses, and the controversy surrounding how to measure it. David and James also discuss cost-benefit analysis in the regulatory world and why the social discount rate matters for policy. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/b...
2019-03-181h 00
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio: The NGA Show 2019: Key takeaways for independent grocersBrought to you from the NGA Show floor, Sylvain Perrier and Mark Fairhurst discuss what key learnings independent grocers can take from the conference. We were excited to sponsor the Advancing Retail CART event, where the speakers included Sylvain Perrier, John D’Anna from Brookshire Grocery Company and Ron Bonacci from Weis Markets, among others. In discussing how independent grocers can strategically approach technological partnerships, Sylvain Perrier cites John D’Anna. “You have to really spend a good amount of time in understanding that picking a partner is not just picking a partner and connecting a bunch of techno...
2019-03-1031 minMercatus Policy DownloadMaking the Housing Market More Resilient for Homeowners, Neighborhoods, and the EconomyToday we start a special miniseries on the idea of economic resiliency. Over the course of several weeks, we’ll be diving into three distinct policy areas to talk about ways policymakers can help make consumers, specific markets, and the entire economy better able to withstand shocks and crises. To help guide us through the series, we'll be joined by a special co-host, Brian Knight. Brian is a scholar here at Mercatus, directing our work on financial regulation, and is the perfect person to both contribute policy expertise and ask some probing questions of our additional guests as...
2019-03-0535 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth141 – Christine McDaniel on Trade, China, and Intellectual PropertyChristine McDaniel is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and was previously the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Treasury Department and senior trade economist in the White House. Christine is a returning guest to Macro Musings and joins the show today to talk about recent trade developments. David and Christine also discuss the details of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, how Brexit affects trade issues in Europe, and the possibility of blowback from Trump's trade policies. Transcript for episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/01212019/china-usmca-uk-and-more Christi...
2019-01-2152 min
Digital Grocer PodcastMercatus Radio: Season Finale - 2019 Grocery Retail Predictions with Brittain LaddIn this, the final episode of Season 1 of the Digital Grocer, Sylvain and Mark come full circle with interview Brittain Ladd who kicked off Mercatus' podcast journey earlier in 2018. The grocery retail industry continues its rapid pace of change. In the last year alone, Albertson's and Walmart have accelerated their robotics play, on the delivery side Kroger confirmed autonomous delivery using Nuro, and Amazon has announced plans to grow Amazon Go to 3,000 stores. The growth in eCommerce shows no sign of slowing. Quite the opposite. Grocery retailers are teaming up with third-party companies to extend their reach from the retail...
2019-01-1441 minMercatus Policy DownloadThe Future of Local, State, and Federal Regulations in 2019Even in the middle of a partial federal government shutdown, federal, state, and local agencies continue to play a huge role in the policy world and our everyday lives. Regulations help determine everything from the kind of toothpaste you used this morning to the music you listened to on the radio during your commute to rent prices in your neighborhood, and after an exciting year of regulatory policy in 2018, we're eager to hear more about how the regulatory landscape may change in the year ahead. Here to help walk us through that and to make some predictions...
2019-01-0829 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth137 – Matt Mitchell on Rent-Seeking and Public ChoiceMatt Mitchell is the director and senior research fellow at the Equity Initiative at the Mercatus Center. He joins the show today to talk about rent seeking and how it affects long term economic growth and prosperity. David and Matt also discuss regulatory capture, the rise of patent trolls, and the economics of public choice theory. Transcript for the episode: https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/podcasts/12172018/macroeconomics-rent-seeking Matt's Twitter: @MattMitchell80 Matt's Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/matthew-mitchell Related Links: *Why Natio...
2018-12-1756 minMercatus Policy DownloadHere's to Globalization and Free Trade!***Stick around until the end of the show to hear our latest What's on Tap segment and what beer we're drinking today! Check out the Twenty Three Anniversary beer by Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, Colorado here.*** The last time we talked about trade was back in April, right about the time China had started to threaten new taxes on imported American products. That, of course, was a response to our own new taxes imposed on imported steel and aluminum. A lot has happened since April, including a planned replacement for the North American Free...
2018-11-2732 minMercatus Policy DownloadHow Regdata Is Powering Regulatory Reform, One State (And Country) at a TimeToday we have a special, behind the scenes episode for you. Earlier in September, the Atlas Network announced the finalists for the 2018 Templeton Freedom Award, and the Mercatus Center was fortunate enough to be on that list. Specifically, Atlas identified the RegData project and the way states have used the project to reform regulations. Since there’s a lot to unpack in that one sentence, Chad's joined by some Mercatus colleagues who have been instrumental in the project from day one to help explain what, exactly, RegData is, why it’s important, and how state gove...
2018-10-3022 minMercatus Policy DownloadHow Healthy Are Your State's Finances?After more than a year of debating federal tax cuts, a return to trillion dollar deficits, and the fiscal condition of the federal government, you might think there’s not much more to say about fiscal solvency in the US. Of course, for those who follow state policy issues, there is still plenty to discuss spread out among 50 state government budgets. In fact, the Mercatus Center just released its fifth and final study of the fiscal condition of all 50 states. The study ranks each state according to fiscal health and discusses trends from a decade’s worth of d...
2018-10-1624 minMercatus Policy DownloadHere's to Occupational Licensing Reform!Over the past two years, Illinois has taken multiple steps to reform how it regulates occupational and professional licenses. Illinois’ reform efforts are part of a broader national movement reexamining the ways in which we license certain professions. In other words, how state governments decide who’s allowed to work in what jobs. Here to do that, we have the perfect panel for today’s topic: Secretary Bryan Schneider from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation From the same Department, we’re also joined by the Director of the Professional Regulation Division, Jessica...
2018-09-1837 minMercatus Policy DownloadEmergent Ventures Launches at MercatusToday we have a special bonus episode for you, giving you a look inside the Mercatus Center’s newest project. Those of you who have followed our work over the past year or so may have noticed an increased attention to the idea of policy moonshots: high-risk, high-reward efforts aimed at dramatically improving the world. Today, we’re taking our own advice. This fall, the Mercatus Center will launch “Emergent Ventures,” an incubator designed to fund and support dynamic and promising ideas with the potential to improve society. To talk more about Emergent Ventures, we have a s...
2018-07-1810 minMercatus Policy DownloadWhy Expanding Skilled Immigration Is Good for the United StatesEveryone seems to agree that America is a nation of immigrants. Beyond that, however, actual immigration policy remains a contentious and often partisan topic. From insistence on a border wall between the United States and Mexico to growing calls for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, common ground hasn’t been easy to find lately. That may be because, as the Mercatus Center’s general director Tyler Cowen recently put it, “Immigration is hard,” and “it’s worth thinking about why immigration policy poses such tough dilemmas and how to fix them.” Here to do jus...
2018-07-1028 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth113 – Dan Griswold on the Benefits and Myths of ImmigrationDan Griswold is a research fellow and co-director for the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center. He is a nationally recognized expert on trade and immigration and is a previous guest on Macro Musings. He joins the show today to discuss his recent policy brief, *The Benefits of Immigration: Addressing the Key Myths* in addition to some of his other work on the issue. Some of the topics Dan and David explore include immigration's positive effects on economic growth, the importance of immigrants in maintaining demographic stability, and other false narratives surrounding their perceived fiscal...
2018-07-0258 minMercatus Policy DownloadHere's to Win-Win Regulatory Reform!The word “regulation” can be a pretty loaded one in the world of public policy. To some, it means health and safety protections necessary for a well-functioning economy and society. To others, it means unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions that kill jobs and favor large, established businesses. What just about everyone can agree on, however, is that there’s room for improvement in the existing regulatory system. Today, we’re talking about the idea of “win-win” regulatory reform. Or, put differently, how policymakers can approach improving the regulatory system to make sure it works better for everyone. To do that...
2018-05-0137 minMercatus Policy DownloadHere's to Dynamic American Cities!Just about everyone who lives in a metropolitan coastal area understands the value of affordable housing. It's a given that if you want the benefits that come with living near lots of people and businesses, you're going to have to pay more for your mortgage or rent.That might be most obviously true of California, where growing demand and stagnant supply have produced 10 of the 11 most expensive metropolitan areas in the country. The state is aware of the problem and at least one potential response, California Senate Bill 827, would address it by limiting the ability of local...
2018-04-1742 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth[Rebroadcast] Daniel Griswold on the Basics of TradeDaniel Griswold is a Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss the theory of trade, dating back to Adam Smith, and his work on current US trade policy. Daniel and David discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding trade and why Americans should embrace free trade instead of protectionism. This episode was originally aired on May 1, 2017. [To sign-up for Mercatus' NGDP prediction market, go to get.mercatus.org/ngdppredictions/. Just answer a few simple questions, and you'll receive...
2018-03-191h 00
Macro Musings with David Beckworth72 – Adam Millsap on Regional Business Cycles, State Fiscal Health, and Labor MobilityAdam Millsap is an assistant director at the L. Charles Hilton Center at Florida State University and a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center. Today, he joins the show to discuss how different regional economies can lead to business cycles at the regional and state levels, rather than the federal level. This creates difficulty for monetary policy at the federal level as looser monetary policy may be appropriate for states like West Virginia, but may not be appropriate for states like California. He and David also discuss the decline of inter-state labor mobility and how bad regulation deters people...
2017-08-2857 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth68 - Scott Sumner on Fed Performance since the Great RecessionIn this week's episode in front of a live audience, Scott Sumner, the director of the Program on Monetary Policy at the Mercatus Center and blogger at *The Money Illusion,* returns to the show to share his thoughts on the Federal Reserve's performance from the Great Recession to the present. Scott explains how forecast targeting and price level targeting could have mitigated the economic decline in 2008 and 2009. He also shares his thoughts on how the cognitive biases of central bankers can cause them to make mistakes in evaluating the stance of monetary policy and offers some solutions to address this...
2017-07-3152 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth65 - Stephen Miller on Financial Crises, Capital Requirements, and the US Banking SystemStephen Matteo Miller is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss his work on the history of financial crises as well as the evolution of the U.S. banking system since the late 1800s. Steph stresses the importance of capital requirements (how much capital or equity a bank holds relative to its liabilities) in combating financial crises. Furthermore, he argues that higher and simpler capital requirements, rather than more regulation, are the keys to a more market-disciplined banking system. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Stephen Miller's Mercatus profile...
2017-07-1059 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth61 - Steve Horwitz on Monetary Disequilibrium and Austrian Business Cycle TheorySteven Horwitz is a professor of economics at Ball State University and a senior affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He joins the show to discuss monetary disequilibrium (the condition when the supply and demand for money are not aligned, which leads to either inflation or deflation). David and Steve also examine Austrian Business Cycle Theory – a theory of how "malinvestment" caused by bad policy leads to an unsustainable boom and inevitable bust. Steve also explains how monetary disequilibrium led to the Great Recession and offers some solutions for minimizing business cycles in the future. David's bl...
2017-06-1259 min
Macro Musings with David Beckworth45 – Hester Peirce on *Reframing Financial Regulation*Hester Peirce is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and director of Mercatus' Financial Markets Working Group. She joins the show to discuss the new Mercatus book, *Reframing Financial Regulation: Enhancing Stability and Protecting Consumers*, which she coedited. The book examines the problems with the United States' current financial regulation regime (including the Dodd-Frank Act) and offers alternative policies that rely less on a centralized regulation and more on market discipline. David's blog: http://macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Hester's Mercatus profile: https://www.mercatus.org/hester-peirce David's Twitter: @davidbeckworth Hester's Twitter: @HesterPeirce *Reframing Financial Regulation...
2017-02-2055 min